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Some musical numbers require little introduction and the hit that is 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' has been entertaining audiences since its first appearance back in 1944. Original sung by Julie Garland in the MGM musical 'Meet Me In St. Louis', the song was later revised and re-recorded. It was this second incarnation that is the popular song that we know today. Christmas solos are a novelty and now, arranged by Hannah Hawkden, this lovely little number fits perfectly into any Christmas concert giving your band and audience something fresh this year.

Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean. In 1494 it was discovered by Christopher Columbus, who used it as private property until 1509. After some skirmishes it fell under British rule and the sugar trade on the island flourished. After the abolition of slavery in 1834 it was only granted Home Rule in 1944, but it remained a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations. Whereas the export of cane sugar used to be Jamaica's main export product for many years, nowadays music has taken over this role. At first American music used to be very popular on the island. Later, however, Jamaican musicians started to experiment and thus in the end created their own musical style called Reggae. Well-known Reggae musicians are Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. The most important instruments used in Reggae are the bass and the drums. Together they form the base for the style: the riddim. A bass drum accent on the second and fourth beat are characteristic of a typically reggae drum beat. To this syncopic patterns are often added. The rhythm guitarist plays chords in a characteristic Reggae rhythm, not on, but between the beats.

Using its full title of 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas', this song was introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical 'Meet me in St Louis'. It's since gone on to be one of the most popular Christmas songs ever!

For the Fallen is a setting of Laurence Binyon's famous ode honouring the war dead, familiar from Remembrance Day services, including the lines "At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them".In its original form for soprano voice, choir and orchestra the work received its premiere in the Royal Albert Hall on November 13th 2010 at The Festival of Remembrance, performed by Hayley Westenra, Choirs of Langham and Wimbledon Choral Society and the orchestra of the Coldstream Guards conducted by Lt Col Graham Jones.In this setting for brass band, part of the poem is allotted to narrator, and The Last Post is incorporated into the score; initially featuring antiphonal solo cornets. This arrangement received its premiere in the Sage on November 17th 2014 performed by the Grimethorpe Colliery Band conducted by Robert Childs; it formed part of their winning ‘Brass In Concert' programme entitled ‘Lest We Forget' and can be heard in full on their 'Grimethorpe Entertain' CD release available to buy here.The work is dedicated to the composer's uncle, Alfryn Jenkins, who lost his life as captain of a Lancaster bomber over Berlin in 1944.

This cherished song first appeared in the 1944 MGM musical Meet me in St Louis, when Judy Garland's character sung the song to her five-year old sister to cheer her up. This new arrangement is a sumptuous slow jazz trombone solo, as played by Chris Thomas on Cory's latest Christmas CD4th section +Duration 4 mins